Skip Gundlach wrote:
This discussion reminded me that in another mailing list I'm on, the topic
of keeping the pipes clean came up. I gave them your vinegar prescription,
but a couple of posters have advocated Muriatic acid, sometimes with a
dollop of veggie oil for the lube.

My thought was that was pretty harsh stuff, but, certainly, it ought to do a
number on calcium. What are your thoughts on the subject (Muriatic, i.e.,
vs vinegar as effective/more effective/harmful to components)?

A 12% solution of muriatic acid in water has long been the recommended
"cure" for mineral buildup in hoses--sanitation, exhaust, engine
intake--and also to clean the electrodes in a Lectra/San. It is nasty
stuff and needs careful handling, but it won't hurt anything in the system.

White vinegar--which is more acidic than cider--also works, but easier
to use a preventative than a cure. Repeated applications will eventually
dissolve a heavy buildup--and vinegar is a lot safer to handle, whereas
a single "dose" of muriatic acid will do it. So prevention is the best
approach--a cupful flushed through the hoses once a week. Do that and
you'll never need to choose between muriatic and vinegar.

--
Peggie
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Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304